seeds and petals
scud across the pavement
laundry morning

above the dead daffodils
apple-blossom -
on and on...life's shapes

moonless night -
strongly smelling
the latest iris

**

nuit sans lune -
humant à plein nez
le dernier iris

cherry blossom
showers down -
polite applause from the crease


(cricket match)

spring wind
mother and daughter
tangled in each other's hair

fiddle head ferns unfurling spring

[photo of "New Born Fiddle Sticks" by Orbital Joe on Flickr.]

spring rain
cherry and dogwood blossoms
rushing down the street

spring illusion -
on the bare dogwood
white blossoms

driving to work

pulling over to enjoy

neighbor's garden

cherry blossom
floats on the stream
...plop of a trout

afternoon commute

weeping cheery tenderils

dancing in the wind

the didjeridu
croaks gloriously
late spring shower

stars perch
in budding trees
the walk home

Philly Road trip
cherry blossoms and sake
with new friends

spring evening

the blind Tarot reader

sees a future

beneath green leaves -
plump fingers clutch
warm strawberries


- Stephanie Roberts

two starlings
steal a piece
of the seagull nest

park

April sun
all across the park
life sprouts

words by mandy smith
photo by lori bierly

last exam...
the unpredictable flight
of the plum petals

cherry blossom drifts
dandelion clocks
run out of time

warm spring morning
chillin' with the dandelions
on the back porch

broken clouds —
our dog sniffs
the front door

shout of a blackbird !
a flower falls down
from the forsythia


***


le cri d'un merle !
une fleur se détache
du forsythia

knees weakened
by the horrendous news
of the massacre:
the instinct
to pray


[written Monday, April 16, 2007 about the Virgina Tech tragedy; in response to One Deep Breath's writing prompt about energy or the lack thereof around us]

spring headache
the full trash bag of
old files

after huge rain
pansies shimmer in the lawn
next to dandelions

Manchester

K-Fed wanna-be
dancing
to Irish tune

pub time
talking
drinking

on the tram
happy fans
singing a Chelsea song

seeing blue sky
inside Manchester
train station

Wigtown, Scotland

on public path
cow and calves approaches me
I scream!

not graffiti
on the hillside
spray-painted sheep

curious old lady
wants to know
my martial status

along the winding
Bladnoch River
whiskey distillery

slowly browsing
for books
fun

sleeping shadows
stretch
the garden starts to hum

View from window

Slowly
the evergreen tree
has company
of bushes
in spring mode.

sidewalk sorbet

pink cherry blossoms

against red brick

morning surprise
new growth on rosebushes
first dandelions

a dilemma -
on the shortcut path
spring wildflowers

Easter Sunday -
my Jewish friend shares
the hymnal


- Stephanie Roberts

Paris in daisies
Birds trill in Romanian
Minnesota snow

(It started again this morning. Maybe next month.)

--Ardi Keim
. longs for the green .

lazy morning
watching the pansies
blowing in the wind

cropped lawn -
slowly a daisy
raises head


pelousetondue -
un pâquerette lentement
redresse la tête

Delayed

We have located
your bag and are making plans
for delivery.

(Crossposted at But Wait, There's More!)

cow pissing -
it splashes into
the wagtail's nest

time travel
crossing old Thames
on Millenium Bridge

finding my hero
1924 book about
Ernie Shakeleton

still in the outfield
boys fumble for the ball -
the batter slides

***

Little League baseball opening day is quite a sight.

- Stephanie Roberts

spring morning -
all the trills I could sing
if I was this bird

On Vacation

blue seude shoes
Elvis rides
Victoria Line

floating on Regents Canal
colorful houseboats
red billed ducks

Cameden Market
80s flashbacks
mohawk 'do

mind the gap
and dancing to
techno Bhangra

Easter Sunday
snowflakes sparkling
on trumpet lillies

the escapee flies

in goalless circles

ringed turtle dove

insomnia -
the moon already
a little less round

insomnie -
la lune déjà
un peu moins ronde

Impatience

Sunroof rolled open
to invite the warm spring air
instead lets in rain.

(Talk about making lemonade from lemons...
my poor car!)

so-called spring
cut to shreds
by a bitter wind

I blush -
woodpigeons mating
on our fence

spring rain
dripping from hyacinths
onto black mulch

at the boy’s hand
dangling from the stick -
brave caterpillar


- Stephanie Roberts

earlier shift
walking to the window
to watch the day pass

orange rhyming

The Avon Gorge, Bristol, South West England

I was up at 5am for an early bird walk, catching the pre-dawn (blackbirds) and dawn birdsong of robins, wrens, blackcaps, chaffinches, and dunnocks. All this was finished off with a big mug of steaming Rosy Lee and a bacon or veg. butty!

new boots,
and a rhyme with orange-
copper sunrise



Can you identify the speeding bird?


(all photographs by Alan Snappy Summers)

crime scene-
a witness speeds off
as I call in his car I.D.

P.S. everyone is welcomed to the Haiku Hotel Spring Kukai Competition! A link can be found at Area 17, on the side bar:
Spring Kukai details & link to The Haiku Hotel!

.

Opening Day

Garage doors gape wide,
spewing mitts, bats, and baseballs –
it's opening day.

(Cross-posted at But Wait, There's More!)

spring sunshine -
bee wakens me
banging at the window

warm spring morning
enjoying the blooming dogwoods
on the scenic route

that crying baby?

a siamese cat

April fooled

[4-3-07 changed "child" in first line to "baby," which is what that squalling siamese cat sounded like :-D]

april 1st -
one cheek sunburnt
one cheek chilled

Babel

At dawn many voices
birds in between -
at least they understand each other